


Journeys

by vinetini



Category: Fire Emblem Heroes, Fire Emblem Series
Genre: FE Rarepair Week, FEH spoilers, Longing, M/M, This is a lot more Bruno centric than shippy SORRY, also kinda late
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-01
Updated: 2018-08-01
Packaged: 2019-06-20 00:32:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15522138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vinetini/pseuds/vinetini
Summary: Bruno, or Zacharias, or whoever the hell he is these days, has to keep an eye on the Order of Heroes and track their movements. The more he feels the curse rising within him, the more he is sure that his friends putting him down is the best case scenario for all of them. He is done with struggling.The newest member of the Order however, catches his eyes.Day 3 Theme: Journey





	Journeys

Tracking the Order isn't that hard in retrospect - bright white and shiny gold are quite easy to spot even from a hidden observation point. He knew they were coming to the World of Awakening and it was all too easy to spot them the moment they had arrived, their large group filling the quiet of the nearby forest with sound. 

What is hard is watching them.

He feels guilt pool in his stomach at the slight scowl on Alfonse's face, visible through the trees. The younger man had always been more of a serious type than his sister, but in the time since Zacharias had become Bruno (or was it the other way around?) the blunette seemed to constantly have a glum expression on his face. From the brief conversation they had shared in the World of Mystery (although Alfonse was entirely unaware on who he was speaking to), he seemed full of distrust and suspicion. He knew he was partly responsible, and it hurt to see the downcast eyes of his old friend staring blankly ahead. He looked stronger, at the very least. His grip on his sword was less tentative; no longer was he the bright eyed boy begging Zacharias for tips on how to hold the hilt properly in the Askran training grounds. 

Thinking of that was uncomfortable, so he turned his hidden gaze to Sharena. She like her brother had a firm grip on her lance and eyes trained straight ahead, though she was talking up a storm to the knight next to her as they weaved their way through the forest. He was glad that she at least, had not been so broken from his disappearance. Seeing the form of her lance filled him with a soft pride; while he and Alfonse had sparred from time to time, he had taught Sharena the lance himself. Some might think her head empty with the amount of talking she did, but they would be wrong; she was a fast learner and an even faster thrust with the lance.

Commander Anna seemed just as unruffled as ever. She had always prided herself on being the rock of the Order (unless money was involved) and today she looked no different than ever. She looked so confident, so approachable that he wistfully imagined leaving his current hiding position and asking for her help. But he'd already been over it a million times in his mind, turning the problem over and over at a relentless pace. Resigned to watching them go, he took note of their position and turned to remount his steed.

A last figure caught his gaze. He squinted, briefly not recognizing them.

They were clad in a golden white robe, a hood currently obscuring their face. Ah, that Kiran. From his body posture, he seemed unsure of what they were doing, trailing after the first three uncertainly. Anna looked back and smiled at the other, receiving a weak one in return. 

He didn't know what to make of the so called Legendary Hero. He seemed confused by the title and even more baffled by the divine weapon that was supposedly his belonging. From the brief whisperings he had heard, they had indeed come from another world, though he was unfortunately not privy to much more than that. He knew not of Kiran's goals, ambition or personality. 

All he hoped was that this newcomer could look after his friends while he could not.

 

* * *

 

 

It turned out Kiran was very capable of protecting the Order of Heroes. Or to be specific, Kiran's _heroes_. 

Bruno wasn't sure how the tactician had managed to recruit some of the Heroes he did (and he used Heroes loosely, because the person who had nearly killed Bruno with an earth-shattering axe strike was the morally dubious King of Macedon). Yet here he was, his troops defeated and he himself barely conscious thanks to the thrashing Kiran had delivered them. 

He coughed up a small splattering of blood, willing his arms to move. Nothing.

"I... I can't keep fighting. You Order of Heroes people... Don't you realize you're on the wrong track?"

Kiran and Alfonse, currently panting with exhaustion in front of him, looked confused. 

"They're going to your summoning ruins - to destroy them. Do you understand what that would mean - for everything?"

He looked straight into Kiran's eyes. The other returned his gaze, cautious but a fire in them.

"If so, you should get to the ruins fast."

The other stared. And then- a nod.

* * *

 

Bruno gritted his teeth together, trying not to be sick. His head was pounding again and unintelligible, ominous whispers seemed to swirl inside his head. He had wanted to help them more, but he had felt _it_ ; the distinctly nauseating feeling of losing control creeping upon him. As soon as he had become aware of it, he had fled- he could only hope that the Order would make it to the ruins in time. In his current state, he was far better off alone let he hurt them himself. He held his head in his hands, trying to breathe in and out evenly as the pain increased.

"Gods... please stop" he seethed, running a tired hand through his hair.

He couldn't go on like this much longer. They had Kiran now, right? They didn't need him anymore, no one did. He should die. He SHOULD die.

Wait, no Veronica, shit-

He sighed again. His thoughts were becoming disjointed, hateful, manic. He needed to sleep.

He dreamt of Kiran, looking at him with that fiery gaze. He was so bright it hurt to look at him.

* * *

 

Bruno was beginning to think these 'observations' were starting to border on unhealthy.

He had been trailing behind them, catching glimpses of them here and there. Alfonse training with his sword, Sharena and Anna cooking something together, Kiran talking to his heroes...

He knew at the very least it wasn't wise. At times when looking at the Askran royals, his blood had flared up and he would flee in a panic. Trying not to leave any trace of his presence while desperately battling the urges inside of him, wanting to ride back and shatter Sharena's bones with a spell, grab Alfonse's sword and plunge it into his stomach-

Gods.

And yet, gazing upon Kiran had yet to make him volatile or unstable. The sight of him was... welcome in some aspects. He had made Alfonse smile, he seemed more than happy to talk to Sharena and Commander Anna seemed to trust him as well as anyone. Despite being not that much younger than Bruno himself by the looks of his appearance, the summoner acted as a mother hen towards his many heroes. A few times the summoner had unintentionally made Bruno crack a smile from his vantage point as he mothered heroes much older, scarier and stronger than himself. Watching him with the younger heroes, Kiran smiling gently as he helped Elise put a flower crown on Maria's head was... making him feel something else entirely.

In any case, the Order didn't seem to be missing him, and Kiran seemed more than superior as his replacement. 

Bruno wanted to be among them. He wanted to spar with Alfonse, answer Sharena's many questions, teased by Commander Anna... he wanted to ask Kiran about his world, ask what he left behind and if he was alone like Bruno too-

No.

That was not for him, anymore.

* * *

He couldn't keep it up much longer.

He had talked to Order several times under his new disguise, and each time found himself more and more unhinged. His words, his actions... he was finding it increasingly difficult to remind himself of the fact that they were once comrades. The whispers of blood and destruction trailed him in every day, lingered in his voice...

He had truly become Prince Bruno of the Emblian Empire. And gods, how he hated it.

He watched, dispassionate from atop his horse as the Order struggled against the Heroes from the World of Radiance. Blessed (or cursed, perhaps) with Embla's Ward, all they could do was defend themselves against the onslaught. The sane part of him was screaming at him to do something, to try and even the odds a little for the Order without alerting Veronica. The other part of him wanted to see blood, and _soon._

The war waging within him showed little on his face - he was the hated Prince of the enemy country today.

He had to hate them, didn't he? And they would hate him.

* * *

 

He was heading back, wincing at the wounds sustained by the Order (Sharena WAS better than him at the lance now) when he heard yells in the distance.

He whirled around, confusion turning to panic as he identified Anna's voice among the screams. Gritting his teeth, he turned his steed towards the sound. Their enemy in public he currently may be, but he couldn't find it in himself to ignore the yells either. He had seemingly reached the general area where the yelling was coming from - though as of now, all he could hear was a quiet voice talking beyond the small forest he was in. He swiftly dismounted and crept towards the sound, placing himself between two thick trunks of trees.

Ahead of him was a small clearing and to his dismay, Kiran trembling in front of Veronica.

"I'll pop your head right off. Just like I used to do to my dolls"

His heart lurched. Clearly, the other had been separated from the Order and was now prey to the Princess' bloodthirsty whims. He saw the summoner take a frightened step back as Veronica advanced on him, her tiny stature at odds with the vile, poisonous magic beginning to froth from her hands, painting the scene with an eerie green light.

He couldn't let this happen.

"Forgive me, sister" he thought to himself before quickly pulling out his tome.

He gathered just enough magical energy in his hands to interrupt her, but not to seriously injure (the curse had not yet urged him to hurt his own kin, and for that he was eternally grateful).

It hit her right in the back, sending her stumbling forward in confusion as Kiran backed up, eyeing his position. Shit. Can't let the summoner see him.

"Who dares?" Veronica hissed, but was quickly drowned out by a loud thrum of magic; a portal had reopened not far from Kiran's location.

"Run Kiran! Towards the light!" he yelled, trying to disguise his voice while parrying a shot of dark energy from Veronica with his magic.

He wasn't sure it worked; Kiran's face looked like it had the dawning of recognition of it between the confusion and panic. Luckily, the summoner did not stay to question it further and turned tail, running towards the portal. Veronica snarled, torn between unintentionally battling her own half brother and chasing after Kiran. She sent a shot of green energy at Kiran's feet, tripping the other up with a yelp.

"Just go, trust me! I'm Zacharias - Alfonse and Sharena's friend!" he called, hardly even knowing why he was saying this.

If Kiran put two and two together...

And yet, some stupid, infatuated part of him wanted Kiran to know. For him to tell the Order that Zacharias wasn't a faded memory, a forgotten name, a corpse-

"Keep going!" he encouraged, watching the other pick up speed with Veronica hot on his heels, enraged.

The portal thrummed once more and Bruno could no longer help himself.

"Kiran! You'd better watch out for Alfonse and the others!"

The summoner looked back, searching desperately for a face to put to other's voice. And then-

he was gone.

Bruno had saved him. Or Zacharias, to be exact.

Wincing at his own foolishness, he turned tail as Veronica whipped her head towards his location with fury etched on her face. Desperate for her to not see Kiran's daring rescuer, he sped off towards his mount, head still pounding with unwarranted whispers.

 

* * *

 

Bruno had thought himself ready to die. He had begged for it just moments ago, urging Alfonse to drive his sword into his gut for 'killing' Zacharias (and it was hardly a lie, if one thought about it).

If it was Alfonse that killed him, it was fine right? He wouldn't be able to hurt anyone. He would stop having fits of bloodthirstiness where he could no longer control his own body. He wouldn't hear a voice in his head, wouldn't think of murdering his closest friends, wouldn't have to struggle through every day and night to no purpose. No more dreams of Alfonse with his throat slit, of Sharena with a broken neck....

And yet-

he couldn't look away from Kiran.

The other was staring again, not speaking a word but his gaze spoke volumes on their own. 

_'I know what you are'._

"Don't" is what he wanted to say, but Alfonse stepped forward with fire in his eyes,

"The time to avenge my friend has come" he hissed, unsheathing his sword.

Ah. 

Kiran was staring at him.

Don't. Please.

"Alfonse, **wait** ".

Gods damn it.

"Yes Kiran? What is it?"

 

* * *

 

"So... Zacharias."

His lips turned upward in a wry little smile. 

"That's me, I suppose".

Kiran looked troubled. They were outside the castle they had battled in all but a few moments ago - now all was quiet. He had wanted to speak to Kiran alone about the curse- but was finding himself increasingly distracted. 

"You really were going to let them kill you if I didn't say anything?"

He nodded.

"The future isn't looking bright for me, Kiran. You already promised you would end me if I lost my mind completely."

The summoner looked down at that, perturbed.

"Is that really what you want?"

"It is. I don't want to hurt the people I love."

Kiran sighed, crossing his arms.

"You aren't lost yet. You saved me yourself in the World of Radiance not so long ago!"

Bruno inclined his head at that, his heart beating slightly faster. 

"You didn't have to. But you put yourself at risk to help me. Why?" Kiran asked, eyes softening.

Those gods-damned eyes. They'd be the ruin of him someday.

"I have just told you. I don't want to hurt the people I love".

Kiran turned red.

"Y-you-!"

"Until next we meet, Kiran" Bruno smiled, laughing at the pink tinge on the other's face as he mounted his horse. 

 

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> i fell way behind so this is late, sorry :( hope you enjoyed! this ended up being a lot about bruno more than a ship, but i liked the finished product. 
> 
> also, i've decided to post some of my fe works onto my tumblr! you can find me at @bravelionroy, although it's just a meme blog haha.


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